Image Source: Dwayne Bent, Creative Commons
Blogging is easy.
Writing is difficult.
I started blogging for two reasons. The main was that many of my clients were asking for some regular input and reminders of the many things we talk about during our consulting and coaching engagements. The second reason was that I wanted to experience the technology of this relative new media form and for the discipline of writing. Well, I’ve experienced it and found myself to be lacking in the skill and discipline of writing.
I’m surrounded by writers. My wife has that wonderful ability to write well. She can finely craft the written word in ways that just amaze me and has at times done professional writing. Both of my daughters are also talented writers. One of them could make a living as a professional writer and the other one writes very witty blog posts. Because I’ve “written” a book, one of my clients asked me where I learned my skill because he wanted to upgrade the writing skills of his team. I had to admit that I had not learned the skill but rely on my writing partner, Wayne Hastings, for our published materials.
Blogging is easy. Writing is difficult.
But, when I take the time and make the effort, I enjoy the practice of writing. I’m concerned that through texting, email and powerpoint presentations we are losing the art of well written documents. We recently discovered a newspaper published by my great grandfather (another writer in the family) in Colorado in 1892. That newspaper was written for the common man in a small town west of Denver. The vocabulary and writing structure was well above what we receive today in the few papers that even put out a printed edition anymore.
Consider doing more writing. It forces you to organize your thoughts more than texting, emailing or powerpoint presentations.